Customer Reviews

For Love of Norway (Modern Scandinavian Literature in Translation)

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This is one of my all time favorite books and I usually read it once a year. I only wish it had illustrations of the mountains, islands, ocean and a map. Never-the-less, the words portray a vivid story of hardworking people, and their simple lives of fishing, gathering eggs, harvesting, birthing, dying, etc. In short this is the life of Magda who marries Johan, and travels by boat to live on an island off the northern coast of Norway. "He met her at Vaagen. They put her wooden chest on the wheelbarrow. She wanted to carry the guitar herself...There was only one road in Mostad. It ran from north to south through the middle of the field and was about a quarter of a mile long. At the north end there was a white building with tall windows and a flagpole. That was the schoolhouse. The spring, or the house brook, as they called it, was at the other end. It was the only source of water..." Paal Espolin Johnson tells a wonderful story.

Though I have never met the lovely Magda, I feel like I know her. I read the book and could visualize her world of long ago. I have an actual photo of Magda taken with my Uncle years ago when she was in her mid-90's. I don't recall what our relation is to Magda, but it is amazing to have read about her. It is a great book and I wish it was back in print. I would love to give a few copies as gifts to friends.